Yan Gomes

Gomes, a popular target at the catcher position in drafts last spring, suffered a sprained MCL in his knee just a week into the campaign that forced him onto the shelf until late May. From there, Gome...

Indians manager Terry Francona announced Saturday that Gomes would be out for 6-8 weeks with a fractured wrist, which the catcher suffered in a rehab game Wednesday with Double-A Akron, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

Gomes (hand, shoulder) will have an MRI on Thursday and it's unclear if he will be able to come off the DL on Friday, as was previously anticipated, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes reports. "He got hit in the hand pretty good," manager Terry Francona said.

Expectations were high for Gomes entering 2014, as he was coming off a strong showing in a limited role in 2013 and had taken over primary catching duties in Cleveland from Carlos Santana. He easily surpassed those expectations by posting impressive numbers in all but one roto category, finishing fourth among catchers in 5x5 rotisserie value, only behind Buster Posey, Jonathan Lucroy and Devin Mesoraco. The 27-year-old played plus defense and was outstanding down the stretch, with an .847 OPS, nine homers and 38 RBI after the All-Star break, exceeding his RBI output from the first half in 89 fewer at-bats, en route to being named the Silver Slugger at the position in the AL. Some skepticism is understandable, as Gomes drew just 24 walks last season (4.6% BB%) while striking out at a 23.2% clip, and he still swings at too many pitches out of the zone, but the power is real and the Indians figure to continue relying on him as a key run producer, likely batting him fifth or sixth in the order.

2014

Gomes parlayed an injury to backup Lou Marson into a significant role with the Indians, hitting 11 homers in just 88 games and grabbing a larger chunk of the catching duties as the season wore on. He struggled to control the strike zone down the stretch (25 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances) as the scouting reports made the rounds, but Gomes still managed to punish mistakes. Over his limited time in the big leagues, Gomes has carried a low (5.5%) walk rate, and it should be noted that his .294/.345/.481 line is supported more by hard contact than a discerning eye at the plate. Carlos Santana expressed some displeasure with his decreased time behind the plate, but Gomes figures to get most of the time as the Indians' primary catcher while the team moves Santana to DH and first base on a more regular basis.

2013

Gomes made history in May, becoming the first Brazilian-born player in Major League Baseball history. The callup was well deserved as he was hitting .359 in Triple-A, and he proved to be a capable fill-in at first, third and catcher for the Jays. Of course Gomes didn't hit, so he was optioned back to the minors, only to get called up four more times during the year. The Indians acquired Gomes in November, and if the pre-PCL numbers are any indication, Gomes offers pop at the expense of mediocre plate discipline, but his versatility could lead him to a 25-man roster spot in Cleveland.